Legends of Dune
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Legends of Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.
- Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002)
- Dune: The Machine Crusade (2003)
- Dune: The Battle of Corrin (2004)
This trilogy takes place over 10,000 years before the events of the 1965 novel Dune, and chronicles the events of the Butlerian Jihad, a universe-wide war against thinking machines. It also explores the origins of the families and organizations that populate this distinctive universe in other Dune works.
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[edit] Setting
The Butlerian Jihad begins with a brief backstory. In the Old Empire humans had become complacent and reliant on machines to run their society. A small group of individuals took control of the Old Empire's computer systems and used the machines humanity had become dependent on to conquer them. Calling themselves "Titans" humanity's new rulers had their brains removed and placed in robotic bodies in order to prolong their lives and rule. As time passed the Titans associated themselves less with humanity and became more oppressive. Billions died under their rule.
After several centuries the Titan Xerxes became complacent and dependent on an artificial intelligence. After turning against Xerxes the AI, calling itself Omnius, spread to the worlds of the other Titans and quickly defeated them. Because of its programming Omnius was unable to harm the Titans but instead incorporated them into its Empire, the Synchronized Worlds.
When the Titans had initially seized power a group of humans formed the "League of Nobles" to resist them. The League of Nobles would continue its resistance against Omnius for over a thousand years before the events of "Legends of Dune".
The universe at the time of Legends of Dune consists of essentially three groups of populated planets: League Worlds, Synchronized Worlds and Unallied Planets.
[edit] League worlds
The League of Nobles is the system of government employed by the remaining free humans. The predecessor of the Landsraad and the Imperium, the League is feudal at its core but slightly more democratic than the Landsraad, as the League members vote for which Viceroy they prefer to govern them. The planets controlled and protected by the League are:
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[edit] Synchronized Worlds
The planets completely under Machine control are known as the Synchronized Worlds. They are each ruled by a copy of Machine leader Omnius, and these copies are periodically updated by the collective network of Everminds with which they also share their own information. The former human inhabitants of these worlds have been enslaved or killed.
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When the Great Purge is initiated in Dune: The Battle of Corrin, it is mentioned that at that point there are 543 Synchronized Worlds:
Quentin considered, mentally doing the math. "We know from captured update ships that there are five hundred forty-three Synchronized Worlds. We will need to send a large enough battle group to every single one of those planets in order to insure victory there. Just because they have moved their heavy ships to Corrin doesn't mean they won't put up a fight." [1]
[edit] Unallied planets
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[edit] Other planets
Other planets are mentioned in the Legends of Dune series, but their exact status is not specified. For example:
- Kolhar ~ Site of the first shipyard to produce space-folding ships (eventually called heighliners).
[edit] Themes
One theme of the series is the fragile nature of history; the events from the first two books are later altered by the passage of time, both intentionally and unintentionally. One of the epigraphs in the book refers to Mao Zedong as a 'Philosopher of Old Earth'. Xavier Harkonnen begins as a legitimately idolized hero, and eventually becomes unjustifiably demonized as a villain. One of the protagonists, Vorian Atreides, remarks at one point, "Don't quote history books to me. You have no right: you weren't there. I was."
In addition, a state-sanctioned religion builds up around the 'Three Martyrs': Serena Butler, Iblis Ginjo, and Manion Butler. They form a mother-father-child trinity, which has become accepted as actual religious truth by the time of the events depicted in Dune. One of the more philosophical characters in the series points out that, throughout human history, leaders have harnessed the collective madness of holy war for their own purposes. The power of religion, and its manipulation, is itself a major theme in Frank Herbert's original Dune series.
One of the few characters to survive the entire series is Vorian Atreides. Shocked by the things he has seen and done over the course of the war, he decides that he deserves an indefinite holiday. Using the ship he began the series in, the Dream Voyager, he sets off through the stars. That is one final theme of the series: those who try to leave a mark on history succeed as often as they fail.
[edit] References
- ^ Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: The Battle of Corrin
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